Russell-Cooke LLP

Charity and social business.

Advice on governance, risk management, strategy particularly arranging and delivering mergers and collaboration.

James is a consultant in the charity and social business team.

He works with a wide variety of charities, not for profits, local authorities and government departments. He focuses on governance and structure issues including reviews of governance, company, group and collaborative structures, Royal Charters, International Federations and other bodies. He has done substantial amounts of work for membership organisations which face particular challenges.

Much of his work is involved with mergers including assisting clients find appropriate merger partners and negotiating the merger or collaborative working.

Increasingly he has supported clients facing issues with regulators and in particular the Charity Commission. He advises on strategies to manage a range of risk, solvency and growth issues.

Trained Vivash Hunt; qualified 1976; worked at North Kensington Law Centre then helped found Hounslow Law Centre; founded Sinclair Taylor & Martin 1981 – later merged with Russell-Cooke to become the charity team. Publications: ‘Russell-Cooke Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook’; ‘The Company Secretaries Handbook for Voluntary Sector Companies’; Principal of Whitecliff Management Consultancy; Trustee of grant-making, educational, information, care and medical charities. Currently Protector of NESTA (formerly the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts). Chair of Reside Housing Association; Vice Chair of ShelterBox and Swanage & Purbeck Development Trust; Trustee of Islington Play Association

Charity Law Association Housing Association Chairs Group Author of the Russell-Cooke Legal Handbook 2010, the Directory of Social Change Author of the Company Handbook and Registers for Voluntary Organizations Chair of ShelterBox, an international aid charity, and chairs the supported living area of a housing association

Grenville College; University of Leicester (BA Social Sciences).